


Happiness is a Journey

by SunsetSwish



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Healthy Relationships, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Season 3 Speculation, Season/Series 03, Supportive Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 05:01:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14012733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunsetSwish/pseuds/SunsetSwish
Summary: Magnus is old and should know better but sometimes he's just old and tired.And how ironic it is, that now after all this time when they're moving forward, what Magnus wants is something he had once nearly laughed in Alexander's face about.





	Happiness is a Journey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [serendipitiness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitiness/gifts).



**I**

Magnus comes home tired and in that state he makes it only to the sofa because his favorite armchair is just _too far_. Once he's sitting, he leans so far back he's nearly horizontal, putting the weight of the day on the furniture. One outstretched leg on the floor is stopping his slide down and his neck is on the backrest of the sofa, giving him a surprisingly comfortable position for the spine. He keeps his eyes closed because if he opens them it might just use up the rest of his energy for the day.

His eyes feel tired and slightly itchy, as does the rest of his face. An intent powered by magic gets rid of the make-up but he leaves his clothes as they are because he never puts on anything that's uncomfortable anyway. Maybe taking off his shoes would be a good idea if he could be bothered to do something about it.

A thought floats through his mind that he hadn't answered Alexander's text after all. He'd received it hours ago but he hadn't known the answer to the question asked at the time and then he forgot… He could tell Alec to come now, or just talk to him, but what's the point when he would only be dragging the Shadowhunter across the city fall to asleep on him…

 

There are soft footsteps, a dip in the sofa's cushion on his right, then the same kind of weight on his left. Smell of clothes that must have been recently washed, scent of shower gel.

Magnus lifts his hands up automatically, resting them on Alexander's hips.

He'd forgotten. He'd forgotten there was no need to call or send fire messages, or to go to the Institute himself.

If he wants to talk to Alexander, he only needs to find which room he's in. The Shadowhunter must have been reading or maybe taking a nap since it was so silent when Magnus returned. Fabric of the sweatpants covering those lovely hips is feels well-worn under his hands. He can easily imagine the pants go with a t-shirt. He imagines them in black- or no, maybe dark gray.

The weight on his thighs shifts when Alec rests one hand on the backrest beside Magnus's head for balance.

One kiss lands on his eyelid, then on the other. Then a kiss to his lips when he tilts his head up to receive one. Simply a kiss on closed lips because they don't need anything more right now.

Alec's fingers close around Magnus's wrist and lift his hand off of his left hip. Warm fingers press on Magnus's pulse point and when teeth scrape lightly at his sensitive skin there, his eyes fly open. His blood flows just a bit faster, making him more awake.

There is hint of smile in Alec's eyes.

"Come to bed."

His clothes are indeed gray, he has a long-sleeved shirt with black stripes along his shoulders. He looks impossibly soft even looming over Magnus like this. His black hair seems freshly dried, also soft and wild on his head.

"Come to bed." He repeats, a siren's call. He pulls at Magnus's arm and ignores his play at resisting. Magnus follows, every step an exercise in endurance.

"You should carry me."

"Next time."

* * *

 

**II**

He had used to hope, years and years ago, that Shadowhunters would stay away and leave him and the rest of the Downworld in peace. Just let them do their thing, hunt demons, read their law books and let the Downworld live in peace with no new Valentine in sight.

And then. And then he was getting involved with the young 'acting' Head of the Institute who had drawn Magnus in like moth to the fire when he should have been the moth.

He charmed Magnus like the seducer _that he is not_  and made the centuries old warlock chase after someone who should not be worth chasing after.

They worked well together. The High Warlock of Brooklyn and the Head of the New York Institute.

And how ironic it is, that now after all this time when they're moving forward, what Magnus wants is something he had nearly laughed in Alexander's face about once.

A solid partnership.

A working partnership between two people willing to make it succeed and who have their _private_  relationship to back it up and give it foundation. It's what he wants back because it _is_  hot.

What now? His powers remain the same, as does his knowledge and his list of contacts. Someone else is authorized to deal with the Institute, with the Shadowhunters and the Clave. Someone else that Alexander will have to meet with to maintain good relations with the warlock community. Someone else to go to the werewolves, to the vampires, to the Seelies.

Because popularity and history won't be enough to allow Magnus to get away with interfering. In fact, it might get worse now when he keeps the Head of the New York Institute in his home and in his bed.

There's no question that regardless of Magnus's own status he'll be receiving all the same information that should go to the High Warlock of Brooklyn only. It's a fact many people will be less than pleased with when they realize it is true.

He worries how Alexander's own position will be affected by the shift. How likely is it that their relationship had a better chance of being ignored (honestly, being ignored is the best he counts on where the older, _worse_  Nephilim are concerned) because they saw it useful to keep him close as the High Warlock? How likely is it that someone will pay enough attention to them to take offence to what is between them when there's no perceived value in it for the Shadowhunters?

Not that he sees cause to worry on Alexander's side where his personal feelings are involved. They're way past these doubts. He just doesn't want Alexander to suffer more in professional way. He's had enough on his plate in such short time, he should have time to rest too, solidify his power and become comfortable with it. Instead he just might find someone new digging holes under his feet.

Possibly.

Magnus doesn't mean to be so pessimistic.

Alexander is still so young, even if sometimes he seems to have aged ten years in a few weeks. He's young and their love is young and while they've gone through a lot, there is more yet to come to rock their boat.

What are they going to discover about each other when they really start living together?

 

Alexander comes out of the kitchen and walks over to take the glass out of Magnus's hand and sniff the drink. Magnus puts his chin on his now free hand and watches fondly as the Shadowhunter cringes at the taste after he takes a sip, then sets the glass aside.

"Let's go somewhere." Alec says.

"Somewhere like a club or like a country?"

"A country."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, why not." Alec does that little shrug of his. "Do you have plans keeping you here tonight?"

"None at all."

"Me neither. I want to see the northern lights."

They portal to three places before they get lucky. It's dark and the air is freezing cold. Snow is crunching underneath their boots. Alec puts his arm around Magnus and pulls him to his side.

* * *

 

**III**

He remembers the first time he laid back and told Alexander he was all his and to do what he pleased with him. The wide-eyed wonder and a hint of fear of someone who's only now learning these things touched something inside Magnus before even Alexander's fingertips touched his skin.

They'd only been intimate three times at that point – and yes, he'd counted up until ten times because it made him so happy to add to their experiences. It delighted Magnus to learn what kind of lover Alexander would turn out to be. Between uncertainty and eagerness, he was the happy compromise of willingness to learn and his own imagination which fueled his exploration.

So they're doing it again today. Magnus loves to be active, to give back more than he's getting, to drive his partners just a little bit crazy so they don't forget the night… but sometimes, with the right person, he can do this.

Alexander's supporting his weight with one arm and has the other one free to lace his fingers with Magnus's, pressing Magnus's hand into the sheets beside his head.

He goes slow but deep and makes Magnus's toes curl on every stroke. He trails kisses down Magnus's throat to the collarbone, adding a playful nip here and there that makes his skin tingle with something that's not his magic.

* * *

 

**IV**

Alexander comes back very late. Magnus doesn't look at any watch but it _feels_  late and he apparently already slept long enough not to be half-unconscious when he wakes to Alec's presence. It might be three or four am.

The Shadowhunter makes hardly any noise while moving about and he's careful when he slips under the duvet beside Magnus but _then_  he does something unforgivable.

"Keep your icy toes to yourself." Magnus hisses, escaping from Alec's reach.

"I can take my toes back to my office, if they're offending you that much."

In the next moment Alexander's wrapped around him, making Magnus his little spoon because like that it's easier to trap him and press his cold skin against Magnus's sleep-warmed one.

"Or you could do something about it, mister High Warlock of Brooklyn."

"There's no one of that rank in here. You got the address wrong."

"Did I?"

Magnus remembers the day back in the dawn of their relationship when he'd sought out Alexander to give him the report. Remembering those times makes him feel lighter. He'd thought he was going to lose his Nephilim before he ever had him… and look at them now.

Alexander's hand slips under the band of Magnus's silk sleeping pants.

"Hmm. This feels quite familiar. Are you sure I got it all wrong?"

* * *

 

**V**

They walk into the council room together. Magnus had his doubts about this, many of them, and Alexander has either soothed them or dismissed as excuses that Magnus made up. He wasn't wrong about that. So here they are, dressed in their best clothes to impress, which Magnus chose for both of them and Alexander allowed with a small smile on his lips.

Luke has a curious glint in his eyes when he sees them enter together. They all already know Alec was coming last because he wasn't in the Institute; he's coming straight from home, portalled in by his partner.

"What's this?" Comes the curious and expected question because Magnus is not the High Warlock anymore and his seat is currently occupied.

"I've decided we might as well expand this council." Alec says calmly.

He's not being petty. Alec isn't a child who's going to resent the new guy just because he took his boyfriend's spot. He's not going to resent the new High Warlock until he's given a good reason for it. But he can work around him and he's given some thought to this.

"Luke, you should start bringing Maia with you," he says. "Raphael, um, I don't know who's _your_  second-" he trails off and suddenly brightens up. "I know. Why doesn't Simon come? He's all up in our business often enough."

They all turn to Meliorn next, who rises his eyebrow at them. "I think it'll be best if it's just me."

No one disagrees with that.

 

Magnus has a chair added at Alec's side and they sit down and get to work. Alec finds Magnus's hand under the table and twines their fingers together.

 


End file.
